Metal lens holder



G. w. MARKS r-:TAL

IETAL LENS vHOLDER July 6, 1948.

Filed July 7, 1947 im M mg naM Patented July 6, 1948 Mills, Salt Lake City, Utah, assignors to the UnitedStates of America as represented by the Secretary o! Interior Application July 7, 1947, Serial No. 759,460

l Claim. (Cl. Sil-57) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as`

` amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for: the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to usA of any royalty thereon in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (Ch. 460, 45 Stat. L. 467).

This invention relates to holders for optical elements, and more specifically to means for temporarily mounting a lens, relatively thin prism, a iilter, mirror, and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a holder whereby an optical element may be readily and securely held unobstructed along i'ts axis of collimation or lines of reflection for example, for test in order to determine the focal length or the performance of theroptical piece for the classification thereof prior to permanently mounting the same.

Another object is to provide a holder whereby optical elements may be readilyexchanged for comparison, teaching and for temporary use.

A still further object is to provide means for applying non-destructive, equalized and offset pressures to a -plurality of points at the edges of an optical element for holding the same temporarily.

A further object of the invention is to provide a,l

holder whereby an optical element may be inserted or removed without disturbing the focal length setting of the holder with respect to a iixed object or lettering used for testing the piece.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following dev scription, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrative of an embodiment of the invention and in which-f Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of the holder in inoperative position;

Figure 2, a cross-sectional view taken at line 2--2 of Figure 1; and i Figure 3, a front view, in elevation, of the holder illustrating a lens held for inspection or temporary use.

Broadly, the invention comprises a plurality of optical element-engaging means, at least one of which is adjustable, carried by a frame, and releasable impelling means normally urging at least one of the adjustable engaging means toward another of the engaging means whereby to impinge and hold the optical element.

A more limited form of the invention comprises a plurality of adjustable coacting optical element engaging means carried by a frame, impelling means normally urging the respective engaging means one toward another, and spreading means for temporarily overcoming the impelling means `and separating the engaging means whereby to receive or release an optical piece.

As illustrated in the drawings,an operable embodiment of the invention comprises a frame I0' having a track or groove Il and a second framelike member l2 having means or a portion I3 4thereof extending into the groove of the iirst vformed by laminated or superimposed rings Ina, ib and illc. A centrally disposed one of the rings, such as illb, may have a greater inner diameter and thereby provide the groove Il into which the outer edge portion i3 of the frame i2 may extend for rotatably mounting the same.

The frame l0 is provided with a suitable handle Il whereby it may be conveniently held or mounted in a fixed position upon the testing table. Likewise, the frame 4i2 is provided with suitable means, such as the handle I5, for rotating that frame with respect toits carrying frame I0.

In the embodiment illustrated, the elementengaging means comprises a plurality of arms i6 each pivotally secured at one end thereof to the frame l0 and provided at their free ends with means for engaging the edge of a lens or other optical element. The preferred means for actually engaging the element consists of pulley or spool-like rollers Il having planar grooves I9 into which edge portions of the lens I8 may extend and be held against lateraldisplacement.

Means are provided for normally holding or urging the free ends of the arms i6, one toward another, within the area circumscribed by the frames, and also -for moving theiree ends of the arms away from one another in order to receive or release` an optical element engaged between the member l1. The preferred means for moving the rollers il to and from one another comprises a plurality of levers 20 each pivotally secured at one end to the frame l2, and likewise each pivotally secured at its other end to an intermediate point on the arms IB, respectively. By this arrangement, a rotation of the frame i2 (clockwise when viewed from the back of the holder as shown in Figure 1, or counterclockwise when viewed from the front as in Figure 3) with respect to frame Ill will cause the arms I6 to be moved outward by levers 20 and thereby bring .about a simultaneous separation of the engaging means il.

Means causing th'e free ends of the arms il to be urged toward one another and thereby impinge the optical piece between the rollers, may consist of a simple .spring arrangement. As shown, coil springs 2l extend from frame I0 to frame I2 in` a'manner tending to rotate one frame with re,- spect to the other in a direction whereby the levers 20 cause a, concomitant movement of the free ends of the arms I6 toward one another and against spacedor opposed points on the edges of a lens inserted between the rollers. In other words, the springs tend to rotate frame I2 in the reverse direction from that necessary to expand the space between the rollers I'I.

For operation, the holder is mounted upon a table or held by handle I4; the frame i2 is irotated by the counterclockwise (Figure 3) pull. on handle I5, the lens held in edgewise alignment with the grooves I9 of the rollers I'l. and thence by gently releasing the pull on handle I5 the springs bring the rollers into engagement with the lens where it is held in an unobstructed position.

Having described our invention and illustrated an embodiment thereof, we claim as our invention: f

A holder for temporarily mounting an optical element comprising a pair of concentrically mounted frames, a `plurality of arms pivoted to one of said frames and having means at their free ends adapted to engage edge portions of an. optical element, a plurality of levers pivotally connected at one end to the other of said frames,

GRAHAM W. MARKS. RALPH s. MILLS. FRANK cossEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lc of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 471,675 Low et al Mar. 29, 1892 996,017 Haynes June 20, 1911 1,134,938 Bader et al.r Apr. 6, 1915 4 1,272,668 Jahn July 16, 1918 1,622,776 Fisher Mar. 29, 1927 1,873,249 Allen Aug. 23, 1932 1,931,477

Allen Oct. 24, 1933 

